As Health Costs Soar, G.O.P. and Insurers Differ on Cause (1% attributal to "Obamacare")

[underpants]

As Congress continues to debate the new health care law, health insurance costs are still rising, particularly for small businesses. Republicans are seizing on the trend as evidence that the new law includes expensive features that are driving up premiums. But the insurance industry says premiums are rising primarily because of the underlying cost of care and a growing demand for it.

Some insurance industry lobbyists say the new federal health care law is driving up premiums. But Vincent Capozzi, senior vice president for sales and customer service at Harvard Pilgrim, said that only one percentage point of the increases here was attributable to the federal law, mainly its requirement for free coverage of preventive services.

Another percentage point results from new state laws requiring coverage of hearing aids and certain treatments for autism, Mr. Capozzi said. Most of the remainder, he said, reflects increases in the use and cost of medical care by small-group customers, with adjustments for demographic characteristics like age.

In his budget address on Feb. 15, Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, said hospitals were part of the problem. Instead of using their “excess cash” to reduce health care costs, Mr. Lynch said, “hospitals spend it on advertising, trying to attract market share from each other, buying physician and laboratory practices across the state, and then increasing overhead charges to patients.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/health/policy/05cost.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Kingofalldems]

2. Obamacare? That's what fatboy Rush calls it

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[LeftishBrit]

6. Closely related to Thatcherism, and utterly horrible.

[PA Democrat]

9. A term you will never hear Rush and his fans using....

unlike "Obamacare."

[woo me with science]

5. Well, it's certainly not the "Affordable Health Care Act."

What a cynical and dishonest name for it.

We knew all along there were no serious cost controls in this corporate monstrosity.

[underpants]

8. Personally I think that "Obamacare" will backfire on them

it isn't getting completely repealed and it will just become a way of life from here on out and Obama is basically being immortalized or cannonized in the vernacular and minds of the American public. I think we should use it.

Just my opinion.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. One reason the price of hospitalization in northern NJ is increasing:

Valley Hospital in Ridgewood is purchasing outright the practices of private physicians and incorporating them into its system of medical care. The physicians consequently become employees of the hospital and the hospital assumes payment for all costs of the medical practice.

[underpants]

7. Our benefits rep at work was railing against the "Wait time" meter on hospital billboards

this is a fairly new thing at least here in Richmond. On 95 and 64 there is at least one billboard that shows in giant red digital numbers the wait time currently at the hospitals emergency room. The guy who reps for our insurance carriers said that this is just a terrible development. The hospitals are marketing for people to come to the emergency room which is vastly more expense for all parties involved.

My little girl fell and bloodied her nose 3 1/2 years ago or so and at the time the hospital (same one she was born in) had a "30 minutes or less" promotion going. We didn't notice because of course we were freaking out. In fact it only seemed like 10 minutes to me but we ended up getting TWO FREE TICKETS to see a movie a while after that. Apparently she wasn't seen within 30 minutes of coming in the door. She was fine, no big deal really.

Out in the Shenandoah Valley where my folks like they don't have Patient First or any other "Doc in a box". We assume that the massive dominant hospital out there is keeping them from being able to open one.

[Vinca]

10. Re the term "Obamacare."

I've recently been dealing with the medical establishment and they have no idea what I'm talking about unless I add on the term "Obamacare" with air quotes. And this is in the most liberal town in the most liberal county of Vermont (according to what Bernie said once at a rally). I've given their ignorance a pass because even now a person with a pre-existing condition can buy coverage in Vermont, no questions asked. The point is, "Obamacare" doesn't have to be a derogatory term.

[necso]

11. It's not unreasonable to expect a trend

towards little practitioners getting gobbled up by bigger ones -- and for practitioners who struggle to cover bills to go with larger organizations.

Of course, all of these things can tend to increase costs: eg, bigger players make money off more things (...); might know how to better, um, use the system; are in a stronger position to raise prices, cut costs; etc.

Always think about what's coming next; insight into this can come from almost anywhere, but those with subject matter expertise -- and/or experience dealing with practical matters -- can be especially useful sources.